Why More Men Are Losing Their Hair at a Young Age and What You Can Do
Going bald is something most of us associate with old age, but the truth is that it can happen to younger men too.
Male pattern baldness can strike from the 20s onwards – a horrifying idea for most men. However, this type of genetic hair loss isn’t the only cause of baldness in younger men.
Before we get into the detail, let’s get one thing clear: there’s nothing wrong with being bald. There are plenty of men who absolutely rock the bald-headed look – Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, and Billy Zane for starters. And if you need more convincing, just compare before and after photos of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – a full head of hair just doesn’t suit him!
But going bald should be a choice, not something that you’re forced to accept. Understanding the triggers for hair loss can help, and if it’s unpreventable, there are treatment options.
Why Men Are Losing Their Hair Younger
Roughly 20% of men in their 20s experience some kind of hair loss, with 16% suffering moderate to extensive hair loss.
Male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, is the most common cause of hair loss in men at any age. Although it’s more common from middle age onwards, it can strike from the mid-20s.
This type of baldness is caused by genetics and hormones. You might have heard that men inherit baldness from their mum’s side of the family. This is partly true but doesn’t tell the full story.
The primary gene for baldness is on the X chromosome, which is inherited from females. But if there is a history of male pattern baldness in your dad and his family, this will also affect your chances of going bald.
The tricky thing with male pattern baldness is that it’s not absolutely guaranteed to strike. Your twin brother might lose all his hair in his 20s, while you retain a beautiful head of hair for your whole life. It really is the luck of the draw.
However, it’s worth mentioning that if both your mum and your dad’s family BOTH have a history of male pattern baldness, you’ve got a much higher chance of losing your hair too.
There are other causes for baldness in men, and many of these are the reason why it’s striking at a younger age. These include:
- Stress or trauma (telogen effluvium)
- Poor diet – specifically deficiencies in biotin, zinc, iron or protein
- Medical conditions – examples include thyroid disorders, lupus, autoimmune illnesses, hormone imbalances and fungal infections of the scalp
- Medications such as beta blockers, anticoagulants and amphetamines
- Physical damage e.g., stress caused by excessive hair styling (traction alopecia)
Some conditions are more likely to cause thinning rather than complete baldness, but all can be equally distressing.
Treatment for Baldness or Hair Thinning
If you’re experiencing hair loss or thinning, there are a number of different treatments to try. Modern hair loss treatments can be very effective but it’s important to pick the right one.
Hair transplants are the most radical and expensive treatment. Although effective, it’s not a solution that will suit everyone as it can take up to a year for the full results to be visible, and following the procedure, recovery time may be needed.
There are also medical treatments such as finasteride which are taken as a tablet. These are effective for some men, but you’ll need to start taking it early to get the best results.
The best treatment for most men suffering from baldness, thinning or loss of hair is scalp micro pigmentation. Sometimes referred to as SMP, it’s a type of scalp tattoo that creates the appearance of hair follicles.
SMP is a permanent solution and can help baldness and thin hair. Using different shading and creating the appearance of texture, scalp micro pigmentation technicians extend your natural hairline or fill in gaps. For bald men, this makes the head appear to be shaved rather than bald, and for thinning hair, it creates the striking illusion of a thick head of hair.
You only need a few sessions of scalp micro pigmentation to achieve outstanding results, and there’s no recovery time required.
Check out some of our results.
To find out more about SMP and how it could help you, get in touch today to book a free consultation.
All photographs on our website of before and after results are examples only, and do not constitute an implied or any other kind of certainty for the result of procedure.
Skalp® have clinics around the world. We have clinics in New York, Los Angeles, London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Book an appointment for a complimentary consultation today
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